Epilogue to Christmas
by journeyman07
Summary: Ronon and Jennifer. Your wish is my command - here's an epilogue for those who wanted one, with many thanks for following the original. It makes some sense on its own, but it's better read after 'Christmas' - hope you enjoy.


Some months later:

Jennifer slowly sat down opposite Teyla and Rodney in the mess hall. Sighing a little, she adjusted her huge stomach for as much comfort as possible – which wasn't a great deal these days.

'Are you all right, Jennifer?' Teyla asked, concerned.

'Yeah, you look kinda…tired,' Rodney observed pragmatically, his fork half way to his mouth.

Jennifer Keller was heavily pregnant and still working her usual shifts in the infirmary, reluctant to hand over the reigns to her deputy until really necessary.

'I feel like I'm ready to burst,' she murmured in reply, looking up as Ronon joined them. He dropped a light kiss on his wife's forehead, rubbed her pregnant belly affectionately and sat down to eat. Teyla smiled at this exchange. Ronon was so much happier and more relaxed since he and Jennifer had got together; it pleased her to see that her friend had found something so special.

'It's all his fault,' Jennifer quipped indicating the big Satedan, who was already tucking into his food voraciously.

'What is?' Ronon said, mid mouthful.

'This!' she indicated her belly.

'Well, I don't recall you complaining very much at the time,' he shot back, grinning wolfishly at her.

Rodney's perfectly timed 'tut' of distaste and despairing look to the ceiling only served to make Ronon's smile widen with glee even further.

Teyla laughed as Jennifer poked her husband's arm in mock indignation.

'Never let a Satedan get you pregnant, Teyla,' she began, 'it means months of smug comments like that and feeling like you're growing a giant baby!'

'Is he or she actually bigger than Earth babies?' Teyla asked with interest now.

'Actually, yes,' Jennifer's medical brain switched on then, 'the scans do suggest that, so child birth could be fun…any time now…' she trailed off and sighed again, but Teyla saw the warmth in Jennifer Keller's eyes when she looked at Ronon Dex and how that was returned in kind by her team mate. Some had viewed the marriage between Atlantis' CMO and the resident Satedan warrior with scepticism, but Teyla only saw two people who truly and deeply loved each other against all the odds of the crazy life they led in the Pegasus galaxy.

'It's gonna be a boy,' Ronon stated calmly, waiting for her reaction with a slight smirk on his face.

'No,' Jennifer replied instantly, as if they'd had this exchange many times, 'I think it's a girl,'

'Don't you know?' Teyla and Rodney asked simultaneously, both surprised.

Jennifer shook her head, ' we decided not to know, although the amount of kicking and moving around that goes on in here, he could well be a mini-Ronon,'

'Excellent,' the Satedan said, laughing at her withering look.

'Whoa…' Jennifer's hands flew to her swollen abdomen and her face creased in surprise, 'that was a massive kick…or something…he heard you!'

Then she took a sharp intake of breath making apparent that something different had happened. Jennifer stared in transfixed amazement at the fluids rapidly soaking through her pants and onto the floor.

'Is that….,' Rodney put down his bread roll somewhat stunned and looked at her nervously, 'is that…I mean …was that…waddya call it?...your waters?'

'Jen?' Ronon's chair clattered to the floor and he was at her side immediately.

'I think…' she breathed out with effort, holding his arm for support, ' this baby has Satedan impatience, because he or she…' she winced again as what could only be a contraction rolled through her body, 'he or she is definitely on the way,'

Teyla flipped her comms link straight away and informed the infirmary.

'I thought you weren't due yet, Jennifer?' the Athosian said to her, leaning forward and taking her hand.

'Well…' Jennifer paused to ride the next contraction, 'next week strictly, but now…is as good a time as any it…would seem…'

Two nurses appeared with a chair to wheel her in. Jennifer stood slowly, then doubled over as another contraction rippled through her slight frame. She leaned on the arm of the offered chair and lowered herself into it, blowing out exaggerated breaths to steady herself.

'Contractions are…strong…very frequent…for this early on…' she managed between breaths, holding her stomach, 'make sure Dr Rishton knows,' she added, looking up at one of the nurses sharply.

'Yes, Ma'am,' came the immediate reply.

'Ronon?' she said, turning her head as the same nurse started to move the chair forward.

'Right here,' he reassured her, taking her hand, 'not going anywhere,'

'Will you stay with me?' Jennifer couldn't believe they'd never discussed this before and suddenly felt worried at having to ask.

'Yeah, of course,' his reply indicated that she had stated the absolute obvious in making such a request. Ronon smiled down at her and shook his head in wry amusement.

'One of those 'your planet is so weird' moments again?' she managed through a weak smile.

'Yep, one of those,' he replied and squeezed her hand affectionately. On Sateda, children were born in special birthing pools with both parents in attendance throughout. It was considered a bad omen if the father was unable to do this for any reason. So they might be on Atlantis and Sateda might be gone, but Ronon wanted the best possible start for his daughter all the same.

His daughter. He'd secretly known for sometime that he and Jennifer were expecting a girl. He had no real idea how he knew this, he just did. Yet Ronon knew better than to question his instincts as they were seldom ever wrong.

John Sheppard skidded to a halt in the hallway and drew breath. He had come as soon as Teyla had called him on his return from a routine trading mission off-world and found himself in front of the maternity room a few minutes later. Much to his surprise, so was Rodney McKay, who was listening intently to the primal groans and grunts coming from the other side of the door.

'Where's Teyla?' Sheppard asked immediately.

'Gone to get coffee,' Rodney jumped and sat up straight in the chair he was slouched in, 'something about it being a long night...'

'What are you doing here?' Sheppard queried not replying to this information, 'and where's Ronon? I thought he might need...' he looked around confused.

McKay snorted, 'Ronon's in there,' he gestured the maternity room, 'and I'm sure he wouldn't be anywhere else, I'm here because...' he trailed off then, looking a little sheepish all of a sudden.

'Because...?' his team leader prompted and waited.

Rodney shifted; he was embarrassed - this in itself was a novelty to anyone who knew Atlantis' chief scientist.

'Well...' he began, wondering if he could bluff his way out of this one through the safety curtain of his usual sarcasm. Sheppard raised an eyebrow; he knew Rodney too well.

'It's kinda like...' Rodney sighed and started again, '...like this baby is all of ours...you know? I mean I know it's not...' he added trying to sound rational, 'but...I just want to know...that everything's OK. You're gonna tell me that's stupid, right?'

'Nope,' Sheppard grinned and took the chair beside Rodney companionably, 'I'm not. Family is family, Rodney, wherever you happen to find it.'

'Yeah.' Rodney confirmed simply, grateful for Sheppard's understanding.

They settled down to wait.

Eight hours later, Jennifer placed a healthy baby girl into Ronon's outstretched arms and fell back against the pillows, exhausted but happy.

Ronon gazed into the clear strong eyes of their daughter and grinned. She was already alert to what was happening around her, with one small finger grabbing assertively onto his larger one.

'Aryssa,' he murmured, stroking the dark curly head resting serenely against his chest.

'What?' Jennifer asked.

'I think she's meant to be called Aryssa,' he repeated and handed her back to Jennifer carefully.

'Aryssa?' Jennifer looked down into the baby's new face and smiled; the name felt right, 'yes, she is, why?'

'It was one of my mother's names,' Ronon explained gently, positioning himself on the bunk beside Jennifer, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

'It's nice,' Jennifer agreed, caressing the baby's face softly, 'does it have a meaning?'

Ronon kissed her forehead and then Aryssa's before replying:

'Yeah, it means hope.'

'That's beautiful,' Jennifer murmured at her daughter, 'Aryssa,'

As if the baby already knew her name, she opened her mouth and allowed her tiny lungs to cry out loudly. Outside the door there was an excited commotion of movement, followed by some equally loud whoops and then rapid talking at high volume. Ronon shared a look with Jennifer, who chuckled.

'Best let them in,' she suggested, 'or we'll never hear the end of it.'

(Really have finished now, thanks for reading, journeyman07 x)

(Although a sequel about Aryssa Keller-Dex... now there's an idea...!)


End file.
